“Mr. Dreskin!" she called.

He turned, and as she released the stair railing, her knee's pain caused her to suddenly drop to her knees.

Claudia found herself unable to speak, her words caught in her throat. Could he pretend not to see her at all?

Could time rewind to erase this moment?

Could she simply vanish into thin air?

She fell to the ground, her face flushed with embarrassment .

“Did you injure yourself?"

A deep male voice echoed in her ears. Claudia looked up into a pair of intense eyes, her face turning a deeper shade of red. "No, it's nothing."

Bennett's brows knit together in concern as he helped her to her feet.

“Why the rush?"

“I... I wanted to see you off," she stammered, her eyes suddenly alight as she noticed the tie adorning his chest.

Her head tilted in astonishment, and she asked, "Is that the tie I gave you?"

“Yes," Bennett confirmed, still distracted by his worry for her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Why couldn't he just let the subject drop?

Claudia had been less embarrassed when her focus had been elsewhere, but now her cheeks burned anew.

“Really, I‘m fine."

“Alright,” he conceded, glancing at his watch.

“Hurry, or you'll miss your flight," Claudia warned.

Bennett gazed down at her, a question in his eyes.

“Aren't you going to see me of f?"

"Indeed," Claudia agreed, still looking bewildered from her fall. She glanced up, her eyes wide, and stammered, "So then... shall I walk you out?"

Though she'd done this before, she still found herself unaccountably bashful this time.

"okay."

Time was of the essence, so Bennett quickly agreed and began to walk away. Claudia, flustered, followed after him.